Everything in Between

Chapter 7

Phoenix was right. I probably do like Chester. A little.

I caught myself staring at him in Art, math, history and gym. Especially gym, even if he wasn't that active.

We were in art, working on a project. Ms.Kenji asked us to choose something that we liked and we had to find a way of showing it by sculpting, drawing or painting it. Chester was painting, Joe and I were drawing.

Chester had his back facing us. Today he was wearing a Depeche Mode shirt.

"Sooo," Joe whispered, "Phi was right I guess." I rolled my eyes.

"And what makes you say that?"

"Your staring at Chester's ass," Joe snickered. I felt my face go hot. He was wearing some grey jeans that showed off his pretty-damn it, Phoenix was right.

"Well Shinoda? Was the great and powerful Phoenix right?"

"Ugh, fine might as well tell you. Yes the great and powerful Dave Farrell was correct."

Joe squealed. "Oh gosh Mike, YOUR FIRST GUY CRUSH!!"

"That was the gayest thing ever."

"Look who's talking Shinoda!" Joe laughed. I turned to look back at Chester. He was with a girl. A girl.

He had her hand in his and was helping her paint.

"Yeah, there you go." He smiled at her then kissed her cheek.

Within the past three weeks Chester was here, he already got a girlfriend. I shook my head. What was I thinking. Of course he wouldn't be gay too...

For some reason, I began to hate him. And that girl.

***

"Mike, Mikey? YO SHINODA!?"Joe waved his hand in front of my face."Shinoda? Mike, come on, speak."

Phoenix and Brad looked at each other,looking a little worried.

"Maikeu! Na hanten iyagi namja!" Joe yelled.

"Great, now Joe's pissed too," Rob groaned, dropping his sandwich onto his tray and putting his face in his hands.

"Joe's mad?" Brad said looking at Rob.

"Yeah​, haven't you noticed he speaks Korean when he's pissed?"

"Oh..."

*Brad flashback time*

"Where's my last piece of pie?"

Brad looks down at plate,"In my belly?"

"Jasig a, naneun geu gwajaleul salanghago dangsin-eun geugeos-eul meog-eossda!?!?!?"

*End of Brad flash back time*

"Yup," Rob said biting into his sandwich.

I sighed, I was just making my friends mad too. I groaned and put my head on the table.

"Ugh, come on Mike what's wrong?" Phoenix whined.

"Chester has a girlfriend."

"Oh, ummm...."

I got up, "I'm just gonna go to Ms.Kenji's. And paint."

I walked over to her classroom, hoping Chester wouldn't be there. But he was. He seemed to like the class as much as I did.

I grabbed a painting I was working on, one with a soldier. I stood in front of it, not knowing what to add. I almost was about to just move on and start another painting until I saw Chester look over his painting and staring at mine. He came over to me and looked at it some more.

"I like it," he said quietly, and then he took my paint brush and dipped it in brown paint. He slowly began to make small lines and then the shape eventually came out.

"You could add the wings to show that even in all that war and danger, he's still delicate."

He went back to his painting.

Even though he's just such a beautiful kid,

***

"Mikey, you have to just get over it," Phoenix said. I told him about everything, the way I can't stop looking at Chester, the way he makes me feel when I see him, and then my sudden hate for him. There was something about him. And it made me angry to see him with anyone else.

"Shut up, you told me that I like him."

"Mike, okay, look. You're just jealous, and maybe he just doesn't swing that way."

I groaned, I really liked Chester though.